Olympia council advances tenant-screening limits; ordinance moves to second reading 6–1

Olympia — The City Council voted 6–1 on Dec. 16 to advance an ordinance meant to ease barriers to rental housing applications by limiting the income a landlord may require and prohibiting mandatory Social Security numbers.

The ordinance, presented by Krista Linson, the city’s senior housing program specialist, would cap income-to-rent screening at 2.5 times the monthly rent, permit applicants to use combined household income to qualify, allow landlords to request (but not require) a Social Security number, and require landlords to accept alternative documentation to verify identity and payment history. Staff recommended an effective date of April 1, 2026, to give landlords time to adjust and for the city to lead outreach.

Supporters said the limits respond to affordability realities and the ways people share housing. “We’re seeing people team up with housemates so they can afford housing; limiting screening to 2.5 times the rent and allowing combined income helps them apply,” said Councilmember (first reference) Gilman, who urged the city to monitor implementation. Krista Linson told the council the city’s survey found 55% of renters reported past rejections because household income was too low.

Opponents cautioned about implementation burdens on small landlords and screening vendors. Councilmember Green, who voted no, said she was not persuaded the city had sufficiently engaged on-the-ground housing providers about operational impacts. Public commenters raised related concerns: Heather Spadlin, a property manager, warned stricter intake rules might increase delinquency and set tenants up to fail if screening rules do not account for expenses such as utilities and debt; Judy Barton, a virtual commenter, noted rental-registry compliance concerns and cited a 28% registration rate as of August.

City staff said many tenant-screening services already allow alternative verification without requiring a Social Security number and committed to targeted outreach to vendors and property managers to ease the transition. The ordinance retains existing enforcement mechanisms in the rental code; staff emphasized tenants could also pursue legal remedies if their rights under the code are violated.

The council’s formal motion to approve the ordinance on first reading and forward it to second reading was made by Councilmember Jim Cooper and seconded; the motion passed 6–1 (Green opposed). The council scheduled further work and outreach between readings. If adopted after second reading, the code amendment will be added to Olympia Municipal Code section 5.82 and implemented beginning no earlier than April 1, 2026.

The next procedural step is the second reading; councilmembers said they expect to use the interval for vendor outreach, landlord education and monitoring plans.